FireWire Technical Specifications

FireWire 400:
FireWire 400, also called IEEE 1394a or i.LINK, is the consumer and professional standard for formats such as DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50, DVCPRO HD, and HDV. FireWire is an inexpensive and easy way to capture and output high-quality digital video using a variety of camcorders and decks and is capable of data rates as high as 400 Mbps. Standard FireWire cables can be up to 4.5 meters long.
There are two kinds of FireWire connectors: a 4-pin connector (typically found on video equipment such as camcorders or decks) and a 6-pin connector (used for computer equipment). However, some newer video equipment uses the 6-pin connector, and some video interfaces use the 4-pin connector. See your equipment’s documentation for more information. See more...

FireWire 800:
FireWire 800, also called IEEE 1394b, is the next generation of FireWire after IEEE 1394a, a higher-bandwidth version capable of data transfer speeds of up to 800 Mbps. The FireWire 800 advantage can be summed up in three words: speed, speed and more speed - at 800Mbps, it has more than two times the usable bandwidth of USB 2.0, which makes it the perfect choice for high-speed storage and serious video capture. FireWire 800 is also capable of supporting cable distances of up to 100 meters.
9-pin-to-4-pin and 9-pin-to-6-pin FireWire 400 to FireWire 800 cables are available to connect older devices to a FireWire 800 interface. See more...